September 17, 2001
Honorable Herbert Kohl, Chairman
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture,
Rural Development, and Related Agencies
136 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Since 1992, the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) has boosted the incomes of this country's small farmers by giving low income families coupons redeemable for fresh produce at participating farmers' markets. This year, USDA launched a Senior FMNP pilot program (SFMNPP), extending similar nutrition benefits to low income elderly persons. Those two programs now represent $35 million worth of federal support for more than 13,000 farmers and over 2,000 farmers' markets and other produce outlets participating in one or both programs.
Legislation now pending in Congress could result in both FMNP's being terminated. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) urges you to support unconditional funding of $25 million for the WIC FMNP and $20 million for the Senior FMNP for FY-2002.
Both the Senate and House agriculture funding bills for FY-2002 include $25 million for the WIC FMNP. However, the House bill (H.R.2330) makes that entire appropriation contingent upon whether the regular WIC program may need the funds. The Senate bill (S.1191) would withhold $5 million from the WIC FMNP appropriate for that purpose. WIC caseload and cost projections indicate that WIC would need to use some or all FMNP funds in order to avoid cutting its caseloads.
State agriculture departments took the lead in nearly half of the 36 Senior FMNP programs created in 2001. This program was funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation, whose purpose is to increase consumption of domestic agricultural products. It attracted states and Indian Tribal Organizations to the FMNP that had not been taking part in the WIC FMNP, and generated much excitement among senior citizens and agencies working with elders. This year's pilot had no administrative cost allowance, which made it hard for some states to create or operate the program. The House bill proposes $15 million for the Senior FMNP as an optional use of the Commodity Assistance Program appropriation, which means that the FMNP would only survive by tapping into resources already being fully used by food commodity programs serving seniors and other needy Americans. The Senate bill encourages USDA to continue the Senior FMNP but provides no funding recommendation.
The FMNP has increased the number and strength of farmers' markets across the U.S., helping to sustain thousands of small family farms and generate new demand for locally grown produce. Family farmers cannot afford to grow crops without some confidence that they will be able to sell them. State agencies need to know their federal FMNP funding levels before the growing season begins in order to plan and administer an effective farmers' market program. Spring or summer is too late to know whether or not federal funds may be available to support that year's FMNP.
NASDA requests that Congress appropriate $25 million for the WIC FMNP and $20 million for the Senior FMNP for fiscal year 2002, with those funds not being contingent upon whether other federal programs may need additional monies. Furthermore, NASDA requests that the Senior FMNP appropriation provide 17% for administration costs, as does the WIC FMNP.
We thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
Leon C. Graves
President, NASDA
Commissioner, Vermont Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Markets